


Hope is a funny thing

by Space_Hawk



Series: Inktober 2020 [10]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang is a symbol of hope, Character Study, Friendship, Gen, Hope, Introspection, but his friends are also his symbol of hope, just a lot of introspection, kinda a, there isn't really any plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:13:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26940451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Space_Hawk/pseuds/Space_Hawk
Summary: Aang gives hope to so many people and for so many different reasons. The Avatar was a symbol of hope and had been for generations.But what people didn’t realize was that the Avatar needs hope too. And that’s where his friends come in.Inktober Day 10: Hope
Relationships: Aang & Katara & Sokka & Toph & Zuko (Avatar), Aang & Katara (Avatar), Aang & Sokka (Avatar), Aang & Toph Beifong, Aang & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Inktober 2020 [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950592
Comments: 3
Kudos: 39





	Hope is a funny thing

Hope.

It’s a funny thing.

A glimmer of light within the dark. 

And as the Avatar, Aang gives people hope. 

He gives Katara hope that the decades-long war, the war that stole her mother and her childhood innocence from her, will finally be over. That the tyranny of the Fire Nation will at last be defeated. Having grown up knowing only war, Katara hopes that other children will be spared the pain she had suffered as a child when her mother was taken from her in a haze of fire and black snow. 

He gives Sokka hope that his family can one day be reunited when the war no longer forces them apart. That there will no longer be the fear of losing someone you love because you can’t able to protect them. He’s always felt responsible for protecting those around him, even if they’re capable of protecting themselves, but Sokka hopes that Aang will bring about a future where people don’t have to fear their loved ones being violently ripped away by a cruel and uncaring nation. 

He gives Toph hope that her parents will finally be able to see her as a strong, capable person instead of just a helpless little blind girl. Having been coddled and stifled by parents who only saw her disability, not her, joining Aang was her first real taste of freedom and helped her realize that she deserves people in her life who treat her better. Toph hopes that one day her parents will finally be able to see the real her.

He had given Zuko hope, even when he hadn’t been seen in almost a century and many believed him a myth. Hope that he would one day be allowed to go home and would finally receive his father’s love. There had been hope that he could be more than just a disgraced and disappointing son. 

Then everything changed and Zuko realized how wrong he had been.

But he still gives Zuko hope. Except now, it’s the hope for a better future. One in which the terror and greed of the Fire Nation, and his father, was finally defeated. That there could once again be peace in the world. 

Aang gives hope to so many people and for so many different reasons. The Avatar was a symbol of hope and had been for generations.

But what people didn’t realize was that the Avatar needs hope too. And that’s where his friends come in. 

Katara, with her optimistic and caring nature, gives him hope that they can actually end the war. She helps give him the strength to keep fighting, even when the darkness threatens to overwhelm him and with that comes the hope that they can win and bring the world back into balance. That his culture isn’t lost forever and they can rebuild the Air Nomads. 

Sokka, fiercely loyal and protective, gives him hope in the strength that true friendship brings.  
Sometimes it felt like the weight of the world rested on Aang’s shoulders, but Sokka always reminds him that he isn’t alone in this fight. That he has friends who will stand by his side no matter what. With this, there is hope that the nations will once again be able to live in harmony after the war. 

Toph, stubborn, but determined and ready to take on anything, gives him hope in the endless capabilities of people. Even with everything her parents put her through, she never let it get her down, instead channeling it into an unstoppable strength that can face any challenge. Toph gives him hope that anything is possible.

And Zuko, whose past is complicated, but wants to redeem himself, gives him hope that people can change. That they can learn from their mistakes and become better versions of themselves. With Zuko set to become the new Fire Lord, there’s hope that the Fire Nation will be able to move past the sins of its past leaders and help lead the world into a new era of peace. 

Just like Aang is a symbol of hope to the rest of the world, his friends are a symbol of hope for him, without which he would lost, floating in the dark with no light to guide him.

**Author's Note:**

> The style of this fic is pretty different from anything else I've written and I have mixed feelings about how it came out, but it was interesting to do a solely introspective, kind of character study-like fic. Hope you enjoyed it and as always, kudos and comments are appreciated :)


End file.
